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WiFi monitoring cameras, like Dropcam, are great for keeping tabs while you're away. But what if there were devices that didn't require that connection, or to be plugged in all the time? Meet Panasonic's Nubo: a 4G-equipped security camera that can still keep a watchful eye on situations where there's no power or WiFi signal. The camera's motion sensor detects movement, recording clips in five-, 10-, 30- or 60-second lengths and analyzes the footage to differentiate between humans and your family pets. If your dog or an unwanted guest enters the monitored area, Nubo sends alert to your connected mobile device along with the captured video. What's more, the camera has a built-in speaker and microphone, allowing two-way communication should the need arise. It can be connected to an external USB battery too, so even if there's a loss of power, Nubo is still hard at work. %Gallery-slideshow269257%

Dropbox just scored a huge deal that will not only put its cloud storage in front of a lot of people, but help you safeguard your smartphone's data. The company has forged a partnership with Vodafone that both gives the carrier's Android and iPhone users 25GB of free space for a year and integrates Dropbox into Vodafone's new Backup+ service. Rather than depend on a specialized backup space, you simply save your valuable files to Dropbox -- you can restore content on other devices and share it with friends without having to use two services or limit the kind of data you protect. The Backup+ app will be available as soon as the end of March, although the service itself will take a few months to reach "most" Vodafone areas.

Sharing files in Dropbox is an easy way to pass Office docs and the like between colleagues. Usually those invites show up in your inbox as links, and now you can open them right inside the cloud storage app. Tapping a share link on your mobile device gives you the option of previewing the file(s) in Dropbox, making it a bit easier to save them to an exact spot in your own repository. This also puts you one step closer to editing that Office stuff too, which can also be done inside the Dropbox mobile apps (iOS only, for now). The update that delivers this new feature is rolling out now for both iOS and Android.

Microsoft knows that you probably don't trust it completely with your sensitive info, especially if you live outside the US. What assurances will you get that you won't be spied on, or sold down the river? The company thinks it has an answer: it just became the first big service provider to adopt a new international standard for privacy in the cloud. The guideline requires that Microsoft give its business clients (and by extension, you) guarantees about what happens to online data. It'll only handle personal info according to instructions, makes it clear where that data is going, enforces strict limits on public use and promises that content won't be used for ads. Importantly, the measure also requires that Microsoft give a heads-up about government requests for data whenever the law allows.

Microsoft has long wanted you to use OneDrive to store your photos, but actually viewing those photos isn't ideal -- you're ultimately using a file browser that just happens to have some photo-related features. That's going to change in the next couple of weeks, though. The folks in Redmond are rolling out a photography-focused update to OneDrive that gives your image library some TLC. You can organize photos into albums with edge-to-edge photo collages and larger single-picture views. It should be much easier to find and share your snapshots, as well. OneDrive now draws on Bing image recognition to give your pics basic tags (like "beach" or "dog"), and PCs running Windows 7 or 8 can automatically sync photos from devices as soon as you plug them in. Only web and iOS users will see the new photo tricks right away, but they'll reach Android and Windows Phone in the days ahead.

While Dropbox was quick to embrace transparency reports, it's been pretty opaque about data requests from outside the US. How do you know which countries want your info? You don't have to wonder any longer. The cloud storage outfit has published its first transparency report revealing data requests from beyond American borders. There aren't many at all (just 20 in total), but it's clear that some governments are nosier than others. Half of all requests came from France and Germany, while the rest are spread between nations as far-ranging as Australia and Brazil. The report now covers the number of accounts affected by these demands, too. More detailed stats won't do much to end intrusive surveillance, but they'll at least let you know who might be poking around your online files.

Microsoft appears to be well past the days when it was writing off unsold Surface tablets and struggling to match Sony in game console sales. The Windows developer reports that its Devices and Consumer group's revenue grew 8 percent year over year in the last calendar quarter of 2014, thanks in no small part to healthy Surface and Xbox sales. It's not revealing shipment numbers for the Surface, but it notes that revenue for the slate computers shot up 24 percent versus a year earlier, thanks in no small part to the Surface Pro 3.

Microsoft recently made the surprising decision to partner with Dropbox, meaning its walled Windows garden would no longer be limited to OneDrive. Now we're seeing the fruit of that relationship with the arrival of an official Windows Phone client. That means you can now tap into your Dropbox account from any Windows device, be it a phone, tablet or laptop. Heck, it even works on Windows RT. All your favorite features are in tow, including automatic photo backups and the ability to "favorite" s file for offline access. Plus, Dropbox already has tight ties with Office, where you can edit documents directly in the former, or access Dropbox files from the latter. If you haven't already swallowed the OneDrive Kool-Aid you can go download the Windows Phone version of Dropbox now.

Dropbox has already done quite a bit to help you get work done in the cloud, but it's increasingly clear that the company isn't done expanding beyond its storage-focused roots. The firm just acquired CloudOn, giving it a team that got its chops building a hefty, internet-based document editing suite. The companies aren't saying what they plan to do together, but it's reasonable to expect beefier internet productivity tools from Dropbox before long. If you're a CloudOn user, though, you'll have to switch to another editing suite sooner than that. CloudOn has already stopped taking new customers, and it'll shut down its service on March 15th.

Microsoft's new "Windows as a service" approach means more than just free Windows 10 upgrades; it's also bringing game streaming from the Xbox One to PCs and tablets. Xbox lead Phil Spencer just announced the feature at today's Windows 10 event, which will bring a feature similar to what we've seen on Wii U, PlayStation and Steam, with streaming to other devices in the home. That's in addition to all the other new gaming features coming to Windows 10, of course, and we expect to hear more about the feature at the Game Developers Conference in March before it launches later this year.

The photo backup features in mobile apps like Dropbox's Carousel and Google+ are there partly to take the load off of your phone -- you don't have to keep every shot close at hand. Wouldn't it be nice if the software got rid of local images when they're merely taking up space? Apparently, it will soon. Dropbox is giving some Carousel users a "sneak peek" at a feature that offers to scrap local photos (after they've been backed up, of course) when your device storage is almost full. It's a simple gesture, but it could save you some time; you won't have to fret over which pictures to delete just to make sure you can snap a few new ones. We've reached out to Dropbox to get an inkling of when this feature will be available to everyone, and we'll let you know if it can provide a timetable.

Google really, really wants you to pick up a Chromebook this holiday, and it's sweetening the deal to make sure a Chrome OS-powered laptop is on your gift list. The company is now offering 1TB of free Google Drive space to anyone who buys a Chromebook between now and the end of 2014; while it'll only last two years, that gives you about as much value ($240) as a low-end Chromebook model. If you're particularly fond of storing your stuff in the cloud (or know someone who does), this is potentially a huge bargain.

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chromebookchromeoscloudcloudstoragecomputergooglegoogledrivelaptopstorageFri, 21 Nov 2014 12:02:00 -050021|20997381http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/11/19/master-x-master-moba-getting-a-mobile-version-as-well/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
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It might just be the theme of this year's G-Star: online PC games announcing mobile versions. It's at least true for NCsoft'sMaster X Master, which should be coming some time after the MOBA's launch.

Master X Master is NCsoft's first internally developed MOBA and is being planned for multiple platforms. The mega-publisher is utilizing cloud technology to create a global platform that will run Master X Master and other titles.

We've got the new Master X Master G-Star trailer for you to check out after the break!

If you're miffed that Bitcasa not only dropped its unlimited cloud storage option but made you migrate to a costlier limited tier just to keep your files, you'll be glad to hear that you're getting a reprieve. Angry customers have filed a tentative class action lawsuit against Bitcasa for allegedly breaching its contract through the sudden switch. In tandem with the suit, the court handling the case has granted a restraining order that forces Bitcasa to save those files until at least November 20th. That's not exactly a long interval, but there's a hearing on the 19th that could extend the grace period further.

You probably know to keep backups of your smartphone's data in the cloud, but backing up everything can be an expensive proposition in an era when 128GB phones are a practical reality. That won't be quite as much of a sore point now that iDrive's new Unlimited Mobile Backup option is here. As the name implies, the subscription service lets you back up your Android, iOS and Windows Phone devices without fretting about storage limits. Everyone can at least safeguard calendars, contacts and media (including Facebook and Instagram photos); if you're on Android, you can also preserve call logs, text messages and whole apps.

Microsoft would just love it if you used OneDrive for all your document storage needs, but let's face it: loyalties to rival cloud services run deep. That's why, in the spirit of compromise (or acknowledging user demand), the folks in Redmond have inked a curious deal with Dropbox. Over the coming weeks, you'll be able to access your Dropbox files from your Microsoft Office apps, and edit those Office documents from within the Dropbox mobile app. That's just the tip of the iceberg, too, as Dropbox is working on connecting its website to Microsoft's Office Online tools and prepping a Dropbox Windows Phone app for a launch within the next few months. It might seem a little odd for Microsoft to so openly embrace an apparent rival, but the company can't deny the facts. Dropbox currently has over 200 million users dumping their files into accounts all the time, and Microsoft isn't trying to beat them over their heads with word of OneDrive's superiority this time. No, it's meeting people on their cloud-based doorsteps with a terribly useful feature, and it just might win some new fans because of it.

If speedy delivery, a subscription music and video service wasn't good enough, Amazon is now throwing another sweetener in to convince you to sign up to Prime. The retailer has announced that it'll offer Prime subscribers unlimited photo storage in the company's cloud drive. According to the release, users will be able to upload their collections in full resolution to ensure that their image is always protected. As well as the company's own smartphone and tablets, the service will work on iOS and Android devices, and the snaps can be accessed with a variety of hardware including the Fire TV, Stick, PS3, PS4 and, presumably, any device that can already access the company's other online attractions.

Digital picture frames seemed like all the rage back in 2007, but let's be real: did anyone really like them? They were small, clunky, not terribly high-res, and sort of a pain to actually get photos onto -- long story short, they had plenty of potential that was marred by lame execution. That's where a startup called Fireside comes in. The bi-coastal team didn't just spend the last two years trying to build a better picture frame -- they wanted to get people rethinking how they interact with all those encapsulated memories of the past.

If you were thinking of milking Bitcasa's unlimited cloud storage for all it's worth, you'd better have an alternative lined up. The company is dropping its signature Infinite storage option after November 15th, in tandem with an upgrade to new infrastructure. You'll have to migrate to a limited tier (such as the new 10TB, $999 per year Pro plan) if you want to keep all your content. Why the sudden clampdown? According to Bitcasa, you probably weren't using it -- only 0.1 percent of its accounts chew through more than 10TB. Moreover, some of those that are consuming that much space are reportedly abusing it at a level which "seems impossible" for any one person. The company hasn't elaborated on what these nogoodniks are doing beyond violating the terms of service, but it's easy to see a company trying to use Bitcasa as a makeshift storage server.

Cautious types will frequently tell you not to rely on cloud storage as your only backup, and a handful of internet denizens have just learned this the hard way. Dropbox has confirmed that a bug in some older versions of its desktop apps deleted the files of some people who turned on Selective Sync, which limits cloud syncing to certain folders. Typically, this would happen after a crash or forced reboot, making a bad problem worse -- at least a few users found that they'd lost years' worth of content through no fault of their own.

It's harder to score student discounts on programming tools now that many of them are subscription services, but GitHub has just launched a bundle that could make it far less expensive to get cracking. Its new Student Developer Pack gives you free access to the kind of tools you'd typically need to get a serious coding project off the ground, including the Unreal game engine, cloud hosting and GitHub's own code repository service. How much you get for free varies. Some partners simply offer credit, while others will give you a subscription -- in a few cases, for as long as you're still a student. The hope is that you'll like the tools enough to pay for them later, of course, but it's hard to knock an offer that leaves you with fewer school-related bills.

If you're a longtime Dropbox user on Android, you've probably bemoaned the lack of SD card support. What good is having gobs of cloud storage if you can't use all the free space you have on your own phone? At long last, though, Dropbox has released an Android update that lets you export files directly to external storage. It's a simple addition, but it's potentially a big deal -- you no longer have to worry about downloading that multi-gigabyte video so long as you have a card with enough room. The upgrade is already available in Google Play, so go and grab it if you're eager to fill up your device.

Google's invasion of our classrooms (and its war on paper) continues unabated. Back in August in the search giant released an online education tool for teachers who wanted to digitally manage their classes, and now it's launched an improved version of Google Drive that's free for folks toiling away in academia. The company's new Drive for Education is basically the same thing as its enterprise-based Drive for Work, which means you're looking at unlimited storage space (albeit with a 5TB file size limit) and access to Google Vault for message archiving.

Microsoft has been rather generous with free OneDrive storage lately, and that doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon. Now Redmond is bumping the previous gratis 15GB up by 100 percent, to 30GB. What's the catch? There isn't much of one, really. All Redmond says you have to do (regardless of if you're a new user or seasoned veteran) is activate auto-upload on your device of choice's camera roll between now and the end of the month -- even on a Windows PC. Seems simple enough. The announcement focuses on the storage woes that've been associated with upgrading to iOS 8, and given the iPhone 6 Plus' fancy video tricks like HD time-lapse capture we'd imagine the off-device storage should come in pretty handy.